Enemies Are Forever
by redtrouble
Summary: The companion piece for "Obsession is Forever", it retells the story through the perspective of Skavak. f!Smuggler/Skavak pairing, because there's just something about the bad boys!
1. First Impressions

_Now that we have names, we need business. I'll make the arrangements to procure the ship parts, what these thugs will want in exchange. In the meantime, you'll need to collect the most important piece of this puzzle. A ship. A ship that—with the right parts, of course—will be capable of making this run. And I have just the ship in mind. It made the Varsuunian Run of Paulking Fourteen. The _Nostalgia for Infinity_. A cargo freighter, apparently. A smuggler vessel is more appropriate. I did a little digging. There's a man known as the Cargo King who runs a company called Rendia Freight on Ord Mantell. And guess who just hired the Captain of our prized ship? …You have friends on Ord Mantell, right?_

**First Impressions**

Skavak wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked up and saw the XS Freighter coming in hot for a quick landing amid the artillery and gun batteries lighting up the sky. He licked his lips in anticipation for the coming heist, gut twisting excitedly. Everything was perfect and, in just hours, he would be flying off this rock of a world with a brand new ship and a payload to carry him to bigger, better things.

He stood up and tossed the wrench onto the speeder he had been working on, a loud clank preceding the gathunk of the XS Freighter landing. He crossed the hangar, grinning behind his calm façade, and waited for the boarding ramp to drop. He had been waiting for this moment for months, playing subordinate to Viidu and being stuck on this shithole of a planet all for this one, brief meeting. The person that appeared, however, was not at all what he had been expecting. He had known the Captain was a woman, but he had imagined some middle-aged, rough-around-the-edges spacer, thick in the middle and with a personality like leather. Not this. Not her.

His first thought was: do I have time to seduce her?

Alico Starwind was a small woman—near 170 centimeters and 120, 125 pounds, maybe—but there was a curve to her waist and a pleasing measure above it. Her hair was auburn brown, short and angled below her jaw, and her eyes were light green. Skavak took a moment to recoup by pretending to examine the fighting in the far fields with mild interest before watching her walk down the ramp, leather duster kicking around her calves.

"Hello, gorgeous," he mumbled, unable to stop himself.

The answer to his question was no. No matter how he tried to work it out in his head, there was no way he would get the chance to fuck her. Even if she could be persuaded out of her pants in the next five minutes, the Separatist surprise he had orchestrated would be going down soon—fifteen, twenty minutes tops? Then, a systematic execution of well-organized plans would mean he would never see her again. Pity. She was definitely his type. And not the usual type—which was nearly any woman, _human_ woman—that was fair game to accomplish his many ideals. Not like Jishiro, Feylara, Amelia, Kiki, Syreena, the list was extensive. No, she was a woman he would seduce simply for the sake of his own pleasure with nothing to gain but an orgasm.

Oh well. There would be plenty more where she came from once he hit the hyperlanes.

"Can't believe you made it through that Separatist shooting gallery, Captain," he said when she stood in front of him. "Your ship isn't even scratched." He liked the way she suddenly grinned. "It takes guts landing in the middle of a battlefield. Nice flying."

"Why would anyone fight over this dump of a world?"

"Why does anybody fight over anything?" He smirked at her as he turned away. "There's money to be made." He saw her nonchalantly shrug and they walked into the hangar. "The name's Skavak. I'm picking up those blasters in your cargo hold." He let his eyes skim her figure, trying one last time to make time for seduction, but he kept coming up nil somewhere between her naked, pushed up against a wall and the Separatists raiding the hangar. "Excuse the rush, but, uh, need to get out of here quick. Sounds like the bombing is getting closer." He passed her the chip with her payment. "The Separatists will be right on top of us any minute. Soon as I get those blasters, you'll be free to fly."

Right on cue, Corso ran into the hangar wide-eyed and panicky. He gave one last, regretful look at Alico as the kid shouted about the Separatists taking over the air defense cannon. Then he pulled on his mask and pretended to be surprised.

"Woah! Slow down, slow down, Corso. What are you talking about?"

Corso started a long and technical spiel about the situation as he and Alico walked over to him, pausing only to acknowledge the Captain with a, "Corso Riggs. I'm with Skavak. Nice to meet you," before continuing his detailed analysis of the situation. Skavak mentally rolled his eyes before jumping in to speed things along.

"That's bad news, Captain," he announced, folding his arms over his chest and shaking his head. "The Separatists will blast you out of the sky if you even think about taking off."

Alico rolled her head back into her shoulders as if gearing up for a fight, knuckles cracking as she linked her fingers together and stretched.

"I'll blast a crater in their operation," she said casually, drawing her blaster and idly spinning it on her trigger finger, "if they put a scratch on my ship. Point me."

Skavak resisted grinning, regretting more and more how this had to play out. He pulled out his compad and pulled up a local map, tapping their location on the screen only a short distance away from the battle zone lit up in red. Alico made eye contact for a moment then nodded. That's when he noticed the stupid smile on Corso's face. So the farm boy had finally noticed the good Captain.

"Good luck," Corso said. "I hope we see you again."

Alico quirked her brow with a hint of a smile, obviously amused by the flirtation. Skavak almost scowled.

"C'mon, Corso, stop drooling over the Captain," he muttered. "We're running out of time."

He headed for the cargo hold as Alico departed, stopping when he noticed Corso was watching her go. He couldn't blame the kid. He had to sneak in one last peek himself.

"Wow," Corso mumbled. "Did you see that?"

"I saw it," he replied, punching buttons on the control pad for the loader droid. "Don't even think about it."

"Why not?" Corso complained. "Wait a minute. Skavak, you're not thinking about—no way. Hold on. Really? With her?"

"You think a worldly woman like the Captain would settle down with a backwater planet farmer like you, kid?"

"Well," he began, sounding disappointed, "I guess not." The kid found his backbone again. "But you shouldn't go after her, either, Skavak—like she's some common space tart."

Skavak gave a bark of laughter. "You saying so proves you aren't cut out for a woman like her." He stopped what he was doing and walked over to Corso, invading his personal space. "A woman like her wants to be treated rough, will treat you rough, wants to grab your hair when you're eating her out, wants to taste herself on you when you kiss her," he saw Corso blush as he backed away, but Skavak kept chasing him, inch by inch, "wants to be thrown against a wall, wants to scream when you're in her, wants it hard and fast, and wants you to talk dirty to her while you're doing it." Corso hit a wall. "She would kill all those Separatists, take two shots of whiskey, and fuck all night long—that's the kind of woman the Captain is. Think you can handle it?"

"You're wrong," he mumbled without looking him in the eye.

"Don't you wish I was." It wasn't a question. He clapped Corso on the shoulder. "But, hey. Don't worry about it. I'm gonna let this one go." He caught a glimpse of Corso's bright eyes just before he turned and headed back to the loader droid.

"Really?"

"Sure, kid," Skavak replied, shaking his head in regret. "Just this once."

* * *

**A/N:**

Hey guys! I know it's strange to read the same story from a different perspective. You've already read the story once, so why read it again? But I hope you will. I really wanted to explore Skavak's motivation for future stories I intend to write. And, hey, some of the scenes _are_ new, so I don't think you'll get bored! Again, I apologize if the telling is jarring as I'm only exploring their relationship progression from Skavak's perspective. My next Alico/Skavak story will be something you haven't heard before, I promise, so please bear with me and my crazy little obsession.


	2. Green Eyes

**Green Eyes**

The first thing Skavak did after landing on Coruscant was hit the entertainment district and find the biggest, busiest cantina he could to maximize his options. Then he spent two hours measuring women against his pre-requisites. Too fat, too tall, hair too long, no hair, too many tattoos, and so on. There were many gorgeous women that made him pause but he decided to exercise a little more patience and find the closest match. He had an idea in his head and the only way to get it out was to fuck it out.

And then he saw her. She wasn't the right height—only an inch or so shorter than him—and her hair was more brown than auburn, but the cut wasn't too far off course—a stylish bob—and her complexion was near the right shade of porcelain. Her selling feature, however, was her green eyes. In spite of the make-up caked on, her green eyes were damn near identical to his target fantasy.

He watched the girl for a bit. She was with a girlfriend who seemed more interested in the men on the dance floor than chatting with her friend. A drunk had tried hitting on her, too, but she shooed him away. She looked uncomfortable, harassed, but everywhere she looked she was scoping out potentials; she wanted the attention but definitely had expectations. Low, probably, but expectations nonetheless. He could work with that. He had played many roles over the years. Besides, with those green eyes and that haircut, she really did resemble the enticing yet sadly inaccessible Captain Alico Starwind.

There was something about her—the Captain—that had made an impression on him. There weren't too many women he had been attracted to that he hadn't been able to get into bed. But with the Captain, he hadn't even had the opportunity to try. And he had wanted to try. She wasn't like the others—he could tell. There was a layer of scum and villainy in her that mirrored his. She was a smuggler and not dealing strictly with Republic military cronies, which meant her moral system lie somewhere between shades of gray. She was also good in a fight. She had been surprisingly effective in defeating the Separatists, eternally two steps behind him, but two steps nonetheless. Knowing he had one-upped her was almost gratifying. He'd stolen her ship, stranding her on Ord Mantell. He'd stolen the blaster shipment, giving him a big payout and putting her in hot water with Rogun the Butcher. The chance of them meeting again? Less than zero. If her pretty ass even made it off that hunk of rock, the Butcher would see her dead soon after. He would never get his chance to fuck her.

But he would fuck this look-alike and get the idea out of his system once and for all.

Skavak moved closer to the bar and slipped in right next to the look-alike. He waved the bar tender over and idly glanced around, doing a double-take when he pretended it was the first time he'd laid eyes on the green-eyed girl. She eyed him like he was liable to fall all over her in drunken lust any second now. Mentally, he scoffed. Physically, he grinned.

"Hello, gorgeous," he said, and she opened her smart mouth to rebuff him but he never gave her the chance.

The bar tender arrived and he gave him his full attention, ordering up a Corellian whiskey and throwing around some casual questions about the place. Before he knew it, the guy next to him jumped in and they were laughing and joking about some of the crazier local establishments. Meanwhile, Green Eyes sat rigid, taken aback by the brush-off. He noticed in his peripherals how she continued to glance in his direction. She was curious. Good.

After a particularly funny joke, Skavak flicked his gaze to Green Eyes and motioned to her drink. "I'll take one of what she's having," he said loud enough for her to hear. The bar tender nodded, whipped up another of whatever she was drinking, and sat it next to his whiskey tumbler. Skavak peeled himself away from the conversation and slid the cocktail to the girl. She stared at it in wide-eyed surprise. "A beautiful woman shouldn't have to buy her own drinks," he said. Then, he walked away.

Or he would have if her hand hadn't taken hold of his arm and stopped him. "Wait," she blurted. When he glanced back at her, she composed herself. "That's it? You came all the way over here to buy me a drink and then walk away?"

Voice was all wrong, too, he noted, but he didn't need her to talk, just moan.

"I came over here to buy a drink," he said, holding up his whiskey, "not to bother you like every other asshole in this place."

He flashed his eyes over his shoulder to the drunk she'd refused loitering near the end of the bar. She followed his gaze, saw the idiot falling over another woman, and dipped her head to hide her smile. When she met his eyes, she bit her lower lip.

"Too bad."

Skavak flashed a charming grin. "Doesn't have to be."

Green Eyes grinned, too.

In just two hours, they had rented a room at a nearby hotel and hadn't even bothered flicking on the lights as they stumbled through the door, lip-locked and shedding clothes as fast as they could get the buttons and buckles undone. As he felt her up, he couldn't help but mentally note things that would be different from fucking the real Alico. Her size, for one thing. Green Eyes was bigger, taller, sturdier. Alico was small, thin. Green Eyes was bursting out of her bra. Alico was no more than a handful. But they were differences he could ignore.

Skavak lifted the girl, wrapping her legs around his hips. It startled her and she wasn't sure what to do so their balance went to hell and they fell back onto the bed. He pretended it was purposeful. As he kissed her and palmed her breasts, he noticed a distinct lack of involvement on her part. She laid there and let herself be touched, wincing and sighing and kissing him but her hands remained clamped onto his biceps. He would have to change that.

He stroked her inner thighs then slipped his fingers into her, groaning at her wet warmth. With much-practiced skill, he began massaging her, taking note of her expressions—the blank slate that meant he wasn't doing anything for her and the genuine twitches that meant he'd found the right spots. Soon, she was writhing, back bowing, hands clawing at his flexing arms. And then she came, panting and glistening.

She pushed him onto his back and bent her head to return the favor. Her hot mouth caused his eyes to close and head to loll, his imagination running wild. He growled, wanting to curse the Captain for the slut she was, the dirty whore. He wanted to praise her, degrade her, talk dirty to her. So he did. Green Eyes didn't seem to mind. He twisted his fingers in her hair, pulled until she hummed. His fantasy told him rough was the way the Captain would like it and rough was the way he wanted it. Bedding the Captain would be a punishment as well as a pleasure.

Skavak pulled Green Eyes off of him before she could bring him to his peak. He tugged her onto her hands and knees as he rolled over and slipped into her from behind. She moaned and rocked back against him. He held her there with one arm wrapped across her torso while his free hand massaged her chest and he rammed into her with wanton fervor. Green Eyes was gasping and moaning and crying out. He reached up and wrapped his free hand around her throat, squeezing softly, tilting her jaw back, relishing in her vulnerability. Skavak lost himself in the fever, imagining the Captain's small, lithe body beneath him, porcelain skin dripping with sweat, small breasts filling up his palms, and her tight, hot, wet—

Green Eyes shuddered on his length and he spent himself inside of her. She collapsed onto the bed, panting, and Skavak rolled off of her and went straight for the shower. When he came back to dress, she was passed out.

"Now that that's out of my system," he muttered and left.


	3. Fighter

**Fighter**

Shock rolled over him in waves as Alico yelled, "Where's my ship, Skavak?" and stormed across the room with her blaster angled at his face and Corso in tow, blaster rifle twitching between him and the Imperial guards. How the hell had she gotten off Ord Mantell alive? Come to think of it, how the hell had she gotten off Ord Mantell at all? How had she even found him? How—

Cool anger bubbled up and overtook his shock as all the little cogs clicked neatly into place. She had tracked him, somehow, to and across Coruscant—as if that damn Sullustan lawman wasn't enough—and was very likely responsible for all the trouble he'd been having recently. His plans had been a complex, well-oiled machine and her crusade had been throwing monkey wrenches into the smaller cogs. It wouldn't stop the machine, but it certainly pissed him the fuck off.

"Skavak! Is this some kind of trick?" the commander asked.

He was good at a lot of things and one of them happened to be staying cool under pressure, keeping his head in spite of the chaos. She had blindsided him, true, but he would never let her see that.

"Captain. Seriously." Skavak stepped up to the barrel of her blaster and grinned. "I admire your persistence, but this is ridiculous."

"Skavak! Who is this woman?" the commander huffed. "One of your many conquests?"

Skavak chuckled, mind instantly going back to his fantasies. He had thought it was out of his system after Green Eyes, but seeing her again—and all fired up to kill him—his desire hit him like a scattergun blast to the face.

He looked her right in the eyes and said, "She wishes."

Alico narrowed her gaze on him, quiet rage playing under her calm expression. Oh, he liked that. He liked that a lot. He wanted to rip it out of her, unravel her until she was writhing in anger, unravel her in other ways, too, until she was writhing in pleasure.

"You're gonna be a floor stain when we're done with you, Skavak," Corso growled protectively and nudged him back with the butt of his rifle. Skavak looked at Corso as he was brought out of his private thoughts, just then realizing he was there.

"Corso. I heard about your job," Skavak said enthusiastically. "Hey, don't let unemployment make you bitter, all right?" He looked at Alico again, smiled, and neatly folded his hands in front of him. "You the one who fouled up my identity record and sent half the galaxy chasing me? That wasn't very nice, Captain."

Alico smiled back, venom in the quirk of her lips. "Wait 'til you see what I'm going to do next," she said casually, eyes glittering with dangerous delight.

Once again, he found himself wondering if he had time to fuck her. Sure, seducing her was out of the question and, in spite of his morally gray-to-black value system, he wasn't a rapist. They would have to reach a compromise that would likely result in violent yet passionate sex while simultaneously trying to undermine the other, fucking relentlessly and fighting for the upper hand. Someone would die about ten seconds after the climax, but damn it would be worth the risk.

Unfortunately, he just couldn't work the details out. In order to get into her pants, he'd have to double-cross his Imperial pals and somehow manage to not get shot by the Captain or the cocksure farm boy. Then he would have to get rid of Corso. It sounded like a lot of work, especially when the situation was already perfectly set-up to deal with the good Captain and allow him a quick escape.

"I gotta ask," he began, taking a step toward her. Her aim didn't waver. She didn't thrust her gun in his face to push him back nor did she twitch at the sudden move. She was confident, even with all of these Imperials with rifles aimed at her. Interesting. "Was it necessary to tell every woman in the civilized galaxy that I have Bothan Nether Rot? That's just low."

Seeing his face flash through the entertainment and red light district with a giant warning label hadn't done anything to improve his mood. Knowing Alico had a hand in it, well… it both infuriated him and amused him.

"So is stealing a girl's ship and leaving her stranded on a war-torn planet."

"Didn't seem to stop you."

"Nothing can."

He would make her eat those words. "I can think of a few things," he mumbled. Because what she didn't realize is that she couldn't win. She didn't know where her ship was and she had marched straight into a nest of enemies that she couldn't possibly hope to get away from. She had lost. Even if nothing else could stop her, Skavak could, and he had.

"Enough of this," the commander interjected. "The captain is your problem, Skavak. Deal with it."

"Commander," he began, tearing his gaze away from Alico, "would you mind vaporizing the captain for me? I've got places to be."

And then he was running, crossing the secret base and ducking into the tunnel.

"Skavak!" the commander yelled after him, but he dashed up the coil and out of hearing range. He could hear someone pursuing him and guessed it was the Captain, and then blaster bolts bit the ground near his feet. He sprinted through the Works' maze, stringing her along just long enough to lure her into a false sense of pursuit. Then, he ducked behind a wall and waited for her to round the corner.

When she appeared, he grabbed her from behind and locked her against his chest, immediately finding a hold on her blaster hand. He tried to wrestle it out of her grip but her hold was too firm, and so they twisted around, both struggling for the weapon. She was a fighter. He liked that. Unable to disarm her, he twisted it around and aimed the barrel at her skull.

"Careful, Captain," he growled in her ear, grunting with the force he had to exert to restrain her. "You wouldn't want to accidentally shoot yourself, now would you?"

"You slime, Skavak. Where the hell is my ship?"

"You mean _my_ ship?"

"Let's settle this once and for all, coward."

"You're in no position to make demands of me, Captain."

With her this close, he could smell her. With her pressed against him, he could feel just how her small body would fit against his. And with her own blaster pointed at her head, he had an overwhelming sense of control and domination. It made him excited. He wanted her. He could probably have her. They were far enough from the Imperials that they shouldn't be interrupted by battle, and Corso would be too busy fighting to come to her rescue.

He nuzzled her neck and she jerked her arm to elbow him in the gut. He sank into the blow but she still made light contact. He grunted and reaffirmed his hold on her.

"You're so feisty, sweetheart," he growled. "Holding onto your anger like that will give you health problems."

"Whoring yourself out to the galaxy will, too. That's how you got the Rot."

"That's a nasty rumor and you know it, Captain." He grinned against her neck. "Now do yourself a favor and give up this ridiculous vendetta. You were beaten. It happens. It's not like you're the first to have his ship swiped."

"Steal ships all you want, Skavak," she growled, struggling against him. "I don't care what you take as long as it's not mine. But you took _my_ ship, and that's about the worst sin you can commit."

She had no idea.

"I've done a lot worse than that, sweetheart," he whispered, lips pressed to her ear. He felt her shiver beneath him and then she turned to face him, their noses brushing from the close proximity.

"You'll be rethinking that before the end," she said. "I'll make you regret crossing me."

He grinned again, ripped her blaster out of her hand, tossed it across the way, and pinned her against the wall.

"You're so cute when you're deluded, Captain," he murmured and leaned in to kiss her. She jerked her knee up to catch him in the groin but he was expecting that and dodged. She barely managed to clip him. He recovered quickly, throwing himself against her before she could do anything else violent. And this time when he bent to kiss her, he made contact. It was a quick kiss, firm and chaste, but a bolt of excitement speared down his stomach straight to his manhood. And then he heard Corso down the coil, shouting her name. So much for privacy. So much for a good time.

"See you around, sweetheart," he growled, desire thick in him, and then he made his escape.


	4. Rage

**Rage**

The moment Skavak entered that empty hangar he was awash in rage and disbelief. "No," he shouted. "No, no, no." He darted out into the hangar, which proved to be a stupid gesture. There was no way to hide it. The ship was gone. A string of curses poured out of his mouth and he picked up the nearest object and hurled it across the room. "Schutta!"

Skavak stormed up to the control room and quickly dialed the _Nostalgia for Infinity_'s holofrequency. It beeped several times before Risha answered, but she wasn't the one he was looking at. His eyes were locked on Alico's. There was a smug sense of satisfaction on her face. This time, desire was the last thing he felt, replaced by an overwhelming urge to kill her. Why hadn't he killed her when he had that blaster pointed at her skull? No fuck was worth this trouble.

"You're late, Skavak," Risha said, "and I just made a new friend. I think you two will loathe each other."

Skavak looked from one bitch to the other, glaring. Was he looking at a thief _and_ a betrayer?

"Congratulations, Captain," he growled. "You're officially number one on my list of people to kill." He wanted to reach through the holocall and strangle her. "When I get my hands on you," he murmured, flexing his fingers in anticipation, "you'll wish you never left Ord Mantell."

"Ready when you are, Skavak," she said casually. "Come and get me anytime you want, 'sweetheart'."

"You can bet on it, and I guarantee you won't see me coming." He clenched his jaw, trying to figure out how things had gone so wrong. "I don't know how you two bested those Imperials, but next time I'll kill you myself." Another idea popped into his head. "Assuming Rogun the Butcher doesn't get you first. I sold all those blasters you were supposed to deliver for him on Ord Mantell." He laughed. "I can't imagine he'll be happy that you lost them."

If he was looking for a reaction, he didn't get it. She didn't frown, didn't sweat, just narrowed her gaze on him and said, "He'll be even less happy after I fry him."

"You honestly think you can kill someone like Rogun the Butcher?" he asked. "Where do you get these delusions?"

"Same place you got yours when you thought you could steal my ship and get away with it!"

"You just wait, schutta."

"You sound angry. Did I make you mad?"

"Are you done posturing, Skavak?" Risha interrupted them. "The captain and I have cargo to deliver."

Skavak shook his head, narrowing his gaze on her. "Don't even think about cutting me out of this deal, Risha!"

"'Finders keepers.' Isn't that what you always say? Not my fault the captain here beat you to the big prize."

He was going to kill her. He was going to kill them both. "Sweetheart," he said darkly, "you two just made the biggest mistake of your lives."

He mashed the disconnect button and punched the console. He had underestimated the good Captain. It wouldn't happen again. But she had underestimated him, as well. He hadn't gotten where he was by playing nice and he wasn't about to start. He had gone easy on her before because she—well, it didn't matter. The reasons why pissed him off just as much as the fact he had done it.

Skavak punched the console again.


	5. Bedtime Story

**Bedtime Story**

_The Wampa's Gut_ was a large cargo freighter about three times the size of the _Nostalgia for Infinity_ and definitely less reputable, but it had gotten Skavak off of Coruscant and away from the crime syndicates, whom he was still trying to get out of trouble with, thanks to Alico. He wasn't in any position of authority on the vessel, but he had plenty of room to maneuver and organize his plans. It was also where he managed to hire the thugs to open the vault on Taris for him.

Risha could try to cut him out of the deal but their arrangement had been mutual. He knew every detail of the plan. If Alico thought she could outmaneuver him just because she had all of his stuff, she would be sorely disappointed. And if Rocksur and his goons had been worth their weight in credits, they would've killed her like they were supposed to. Instead, he had to watch her walk away with the first prize.

But he knew the plan. He knew what her stops would be. There would be plenty of time to steal his treasures back. And next time, he would hire true professionals to vape the Captain, not two-credit thugs aboard a shady freighter.

Skavak tossed and turned on his bunk in the tiny closet that counted as a bedroom on that smelly ship. He couldn't sleep. He was too angry and there wasn't even a half-decent-looking woman aboard the rust-bucket to work his frustrations out with. And he had plenty of pent-up frustration. Alico's little stunt about the Rot had prevented him from getting any last minute exercise on Coruscant. Just another thing he owed her for. She had stolen his ship, was after his boon, gotten him in trouble with the crime syndicates, and temporarily stalled his getting laid outside of the Red Light District—and Skavak was not one for whores; he didn't pay for what he could con, and he had never paid for a woman in his entire life.

He sat up and put his back to the wall, too frustrated to sleep. He thought about masturbating—something he hadn't done since he was a teenager—but he couldn't stop thinking about that schutta and how she kept screwing shit up for him. Skavak jerked up his compad and did a little digging until he found her holofrequency. He stared at the code and conjured up his cool calm. It wouldn't do to let her see just how much she had riled him up. He would never give her the satisfaction. Then he dialed her.

When her face appeared, he grinned. "Heya, Captain."

"Twice in one day?" she mused. "I think you have a crush on me, Skavak."

"You wish, sweetheart." He was about to make a crack about her appearance and how he wasn't interested in children but he noticed what she was wearing and all thoughts about her body being adolescent flew out the window. She was wearing a tiny yellow nightgown that barely covered her chest and hugged her curves with silken clinginess. It was incredibly sexy, stirring up all of his desire for her he thought he had gotten rid of and doubled his current sexual frustration. "What are you wearing?" he asked, hearing the want in his voice. "You put that thing on just for me?"

"Opening the Vault was a full day," she told him. "I need my beauty sleep."

"I hear you, Captain, only I'm wide awake and lonely after that nasty rumor you spread about me. I'm holding you responsible for my condition." He stroked his chin and let his eyes roam her body. "That nightgown is a good start."

"Aw, did you want a bedtime story, Skavak?"

Now he did. "Only if you promise a happy ending," he said huskily, meeting her gaze. She smiled coyly.

"Once upon a time, there was a dirty, rotten, ship-stealing pirate named Skavak who crossed the wrong smuggler, a beautiful starship captain named Alico. She showed him up at every turn and took her ship back. If he ever stops being a coward and faces her like a man, she'll kick his balls in."

"Mmm," he moaned. "I love it when you talk dirty, Captain."

"Then you'll love how the story ends," she assured him in a sultry tone. "Would you like to help me finish it, Skavak?"

"Love to, Captain. You see, the story ends when this dashing pirate turns the beautiful, schutta starship captain into his groveling pleasure slave before he kills her and takes his ship and his fortune and flies away."

"You have such an imagination, Skavak," she said with feigned amazement. "That's why you're so charming. My stories are always grounded in reality but you—your mind is in the stars. It's amazing, really."

Her insults cut so lightly that he didn't even feel them. She was dressed in a scandalous yellow nightgown and flirting with him, even though there was venom behind every word, and he couldn't even be angry with her.

"That nightgown is amazing. Great material for what's next." He allowed himself one more look. "This was fun, Captain. We'll have to do it again sometime before I kill you."

"Hey, I'm not the one skippin' out on our dates, Skavak." Alico changed positions, drawing her knees up and resting her arms over them. The nightgown slid up her thighs and would've given him a full view of her cunt had she not been holding a blaster that blocked his view. "I'm ready for you," she whispered. "Any time, any place."

"Nice, sweetheart," he said, exhaling a hot breath through his nostrils. "I'll put that one in my personal collection. Sweet dreams, Captain."

He hung up the call but scrolled back through the log ten seconds until the image of her with her legs spread was frozen in front of him. Then, he undid his pants, took hold of his erection, and let the words, _I'm ready for you, any time, any place_, repeat over and over in his head.


	6. Invitation

**Invitation**

A few months into the adventure of racing the Captain to the big prize had left Skavak with a peculiar revelation. It came to him that afternoon when a strange holofrequency had dialed him up while he was busy procuring the fake head to sell on Alderaan; he answered only to be disappointed and stunned when Feylara appeared. And then a moment later a voice he had come to know so well said, "I miss you, too, honeybunch," and the whole scenario had changed.

That was the moment that Skavak realized that he had become fond of the vile, schutta-bitch that had stolen his ship and made his life more complicated. They were a lot alike. So much so, in fact, that it had crossed his mind more than once that it was too bad he would have to kill her. And he _would_ kill her. In fact, he couldn't believe she was still around to vex him. None of his problems had ever lasted so long. None of his relationships, either. Alico was the longest relationship he'd ever had, and certainly the only woman he had ever wanted and not ravaged. It would almost be endearing if he didn't also want to put a blaster bold between her eyes.

Skavak returned to the Gorno spaceport where the small ship he'd acquired—_Ellenstar—_was docked. There was no way this small hunk of junk was going to get him to Nok Drayen's treasure, but it would get him across the galaxy to a ship that could.

The _Nostalgia for Infinity_.

Skavak ate, took a shower, and was just about ready to get some sleep when he saw his holocommunicator in the bundle of clothes on the floor. She would probably be awake. The Captain. Damn it, Feylara's ridiculous ambush had caught him off-guard, and now he couldn't stop thinking about her—about Ali, his nemesis. _Ali?_ he thought. _Where did that come from?_ It was personal, but everything about their affair was personal. To the death. So he decided he would keep it.

Skavak pulled on his sweatpants and fished the communicator out of the pile then dialed the frequency before he could give it any serious thought.

"You miss me already?" Alico asked as soon as she opened the line. She had answered almost immediately, like she knew it was him, like she was expecting it.

"I was hoping to catch you before bed again," he said, noting that she was fully clothed.

"You did. I was just about to slip out of my clothes and into the sheets." Alico took her jacket off, exposing the thermal underneath. "Tonight, I'm wearing nothing to bed."

"Don't let me stop you."

"I can spare a few moments for my favorite nemesis. We didn't get to talk much between the droids and your ex-girlfriend. How are you, Skavak?"

He grinned, enjoying the banter. Enjoying the honesty. He had played many roles in front of many women, but Ali… she knew him for who he was, and he knew her for what she was. They were liars and thieves, the both of them, and they were enemies. There was no posturing, no theatrics, just two people who wanted to kill each other.

"Fantastic," he replied. "Making deals, plotting and scheming, and laying the ground-work for your ultimate demise."

"Ooh, I can hardly wait to see what sort of lame trap you'll catch me in next."

"Trust me, Ali. You'll enjoy it."

"Ali?" She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You giving me pet names already?"

"Don't get your hopes up, sweetheart. I was trying it out. Turns out you're the longest relationship I've ever had with a woman."

"That's sweet. Speaking of, I missed you interfering in my last payoff. Did you finally give up on killing me yourself?"

"Don't kid yourself. I can't chase you around all day, sweetheart. I've got my own deals to make."

"Small time in comparison."

"There's nothing you have that I can't steal."

He was so caught up in the back-and-forth that he almost missed the beat of silence that seemed to change the mood of the call. And then she spoke.

"They say the best things in life are free…" she began in that sultry tone of hers, "and I'm the best."

A bolt of excitement ripped through him. "Don't be a tease, Captain," he purred. "My heart is fragile."

"I didn't know you had one."

"Mm, there's a lot about me you don't know. But we can fix that." He stroked his chin, wondering just how far he could take this, how much he should reveal. He had no intention of giving her any upper hands. "Can't say I never thought about you and me together."

"Between the paranoia and betrayals, I'm sure we'd have some real fun."

"Without a doubt. Too bad we'll never find out. Too big a risk."

"You're right," she agreed. "Feylara might try to kill me again."

Skavak wanted to laugh but resisted. "Jealous, Captain? It suits you."

"I don't like to share." Alico pulled the thermal off, leaving just her tank top behind. He imaged what was under that tank top and felt his blood start to rush. "You know, I was thinking, this ship is big enough and the treasure's already going a few ways. You might as well give up this grudge and join my crew."

Skavak stared at her. It was the usual banter, true enough, but it was more of a suggestion than a joke. It wasn't even a terrible suggestion. It was smart. They were so much alike, working together would be easy. Plus, he was confident their relationship would branch beyond the professional. He would have a money-maker, a fuck buddy, and a gorgeous ship all for the price of one small compromise: that he and Alico get over their wounded pride and agree to a truce.

And that would never happen. Not for him and not for her.

"That's sweet, darling, but I'll have to pass."

Nothing in her expression told him she was surprised. In fact, the opposite. She had expected that response. Of course she had. They were too much alike.

"That's cruel," she said. "I get lonely, too."

Lonely? Was she serious? Not that he had considered it before, but she was flying around the galaxy with Corso and the boy had been drooling over her since he met her. Hadn't she been fucking him this whole time? Something about that bothered him. He didn't like thinking Corso was getting to play with toys he couldn't play with, not when he knew he was a much better playmate than that farm boy.

"Yeah?" He smirked to mask his annoyance. "Have Corso comfort you."

"Are _you_ jealous, Skavak? Afraid I won't have enough cuddle time for the both of you?"

"I don't like sharing, either."

"You can't share what you never had."

Skavak stopped smirking and stared at her in disbelief. The whole conversation had changed. She was serious. This wasn't flirtation and innuendo. This was real.

"Is that an invitation or a dare?" he asked.

"Take it as a bit of both—if you're man enough. I'll even tell you where I'm going to be. Anchorhead, Tatooine."

"You're serious."

"Guess you'll have to find out."

Alico hung up, leaving him staring at the empty space where her blue projection had been standing. He leaned his head back against the wall and sighed through his nostrils, considering. Tatooine wasn't far from Gorno. It would be a quick jump to the planet, and finding her in Anchorhead would be easy—especially if she wanted to be found, which it seemed she did. But was it just a plot to kill him? And if it wasn't, would he use it as a way to get her?

Skavak was hard just considering it. If her invitation was on the level… there was a very good chance he would play it the same. He wanted her—wanted to fuck her and wanted to kill her—and he would be happy if either scenario played out, but he was really hoping for the first one.

So he immediately set a course for the Tatoo system.


	7. Better Than the Rest

**Better Than the Rest**

Skavak quietly crept into the room, his blaster aimed at her sleeping form—if she was really sleeping. He took his time checking out the security and was honestly a bit surprised to find it so lacking. No wire traps or motion sensors, not even a camera. He put the tech scanner back in a pouch on his belt and snuck closer to the bed. He watched her chest softly rise and fall, her face completely relaxed. So she really was sleeping.

Her invitation, her dare really had been on the level. His blood started rushing in excitement. He looked at her lying there in peaceful slumber, moonlight filtering in through the open window to highlight her prone position—her tee twisted around her torso, hiked up to show off her flat stomach, the thin sheet barely covering her legs, her head tipped away to expose her tender neck.

Skavak reaffirmed his grip on the blaster. Would he do this? Really? Could he trust her? No. Would she trust him? Skavak wondered just how similar they were. He bent down and reached under her pillow, pausing only to look at her face up close, at her mouth… He thought about kissing her and leaving, let it begin and end there, but he knew he would never stop at just that. He gambled with more than just credits. This might be a stupid idea, but he was lined up to get something out of it, something he wanted badly, something that was a long time coming.

He pulled a vibroknife out from under the pillow and stepped back. This little gesture of hers really turned him on.

Alico's eyes fluttered open and looked at him. For a moment, there was just a soft breeze blowing in and them staring at each other, each half-cloaked in shadow. He kept his blaster pointed at her, waiting for her to make a move, which she did. Her hand slowly snaked up to her pillow but he clicked his tongue and held up the knife. A small grin played on her lips, amusement and heat in her eyes.

"We're too much alike, Captain," he mused, desire thick in him.

"What about the one behind the headboard?" she asked.

"You're bluffing."

Skavak closed the distance between them, hooked the blaster barrel under the sheet that barely covered her, and tossed it away to expose a small pair of panties, no shorts or sweats. A barely-contained feeling was vibrating under his skin. Anticipation, lust, possession. He exhaled slowly and gently removed her underwear, fighting the urge to touch her, to run his hands along her legs. Not yet. Soon. He thought of Green Eyes, the feeling he had back then: that fucking Alico would be a pleasure and a punishment. So he slipped the vibroknife under her shirt and cut it off of her.

When she was naked, he took a few minutes to look at her, features highlighted in the moonlight and the rest of her cast in shadow. Like him. Like their whole lives. Shadow games, glimpses of their true identity through the haze of many masks, the assets on display and the flaws kept hidden. But looking at her now, he couldn't see anything wrong with that body, just her personality—because it was just like his—which is why they were in this mess to begin with. He was a thread away from the event horizon that was whatever was about to happen, to have her vulnerable to him and resist betraying her, to be vulnerable to her in the only sense he ever could be.

"This is a one-time-only, Captain," he murmured, establishing boundaries in the final moments before he crossed the point of no return and touched her. "Come morning, I'm off this rock and we go back to trying to kill each other."

"One night," she agreed with a nod. "I promise to play by the rules if you do."

Good enough. Skavak tossed the weapons to the couch across the room and pulled his shirt off. He knelt on the bed and lowered his lips to her neck, finding the strength to hold back a little longer. He didn't touch her, not yet, just inhaled her scent.

"This doesn't change anything between us, Captain," he murmured, his mouth ghosting over her body, touching her with his breath and nothing more.

"Nothing," she agreed breathily. "I still hate your guts."

Hearing those words—I hate your guts—turned him on even more. He hummed deep in his throat.

"I know." As he passed over her chest, his tongue flicked out to lick one of her nipples. Her chest rose with a sharp intake of breath. He drifted over her stomach and pelvis, inhaled the scent clinging to her thighs, her excitement and anticipation. "You're going to hate me even more after this."

Skavak dove into her core and felt her whole body jerk in response. He had been with enough women to know the common ground of what made a girl crazy; after that, it was just a matter of finding the particular strokes and angles that pushed a specific girl over the edge. And he was finding Alico's. He gripped her thighs firmly as they fought to clench around his head, spread her legs and lifted her higher off the bed to give his tongue deeper access to her depths. She gasped, still fighting him in her ecstasy.

She was a fighter and he liked that.

Skavak savored her taste, savored the little noises she made. He devoured her like his favorite meal and she melted in his mouth. It made him harder. She tangled her fingers in his hair, tightened her grip, held him down. He groaned into her skin. It was a gesture of submission as well as control, a battle he acknowledged that was the legacy of their relationship. But he would win this round.

He pulled away as her breath began fluttering, muscles clenching in a coming release. He denied her that release. It wasn't time. He was going to watch her face when she found it, watch her expression as she came undone at his mercy. He roughly glided his palms up her thighs and hips as he crawled over her. She was frowning slightly, eyes glassy with pleasure, lips parted as she caught her breath. She couldn't hide it—how good she felt—and she wanted to, he could tell.

"So that's how you got all the girls," she whispered.

"No, sweetheart," he said, grinning. "That's how I kept them."

Skavak kissed her in one long and firm kiss, sharply breathing in. Her fingers glided up his arms and gripped his shoulders, legs rubbing against his. He briefly thought of Coruscant, of that quick kiss that had gotten his blood pumping. This was better, so much better. He drew back for a single breath and kissed her again, exploring her mouth with his tongue.

"Don't expect the same trick to work on me," she warned him when they broke apart for air. He mentally smirked. That defiance. He loved it. He loved knowing she still believed she could walk away from this unimpressed, unchanged. But he would hook her like he hooked all the others. There would be no coming back from this.

"If you think you can resist me, Captain, you're welcome to try."

He kissed her again, losing himself in the feeling, the thrill. It felt good, felt different. Maybe because he wanted it, maybe because she was one hell of a kisser. So many women had merely let him kiss them, lying under him like submissive dolls. But Alico chased him with her mouth, sought him out. It promised good things to come.

A thought ran through his mind as he bobbed back and forth across the hazy line of being alert and unaware. _What about the one behind the headboard?_ He had accused her of bluffing. Now he wondered. As they explored one another's mouths, he reached behind the bed and felt it, the handle of a hidden vibroknife. He broke the kiss and stared at it. She hadn't been bluffing. She had a back-up plan for a back-up plan. She also hadn't used it.

"Oh you bitch," he murmured affectionately. "I could almost fall in love with you."

He tossed the knife away and dove into her mouth with a new energy, kissing her with a hunger she matched. They tangled up in one another, their hands roving over their bodies in anxiousness to map out every curve and line. It was a frenzy of passion, barely contained.

"They say sex is like war, Captain…" he whispered between kisses as he undid the buttons on his pants. "Up for a wager on how this thing between us will end?"

"I enjoy a good bet." She pinned him against the headboard and tugged his pants off. "Sex is like war, huh?" She kissed him and he felt her fingers on his cock, gently stroking. He twitched in her hand, his fingers gliding up her sides, thumbs caressing her ribcage. "So… the first to come loses?"

"Not a good deciding factor, Captain. I'm going to bring you there at least twice." He flipped her onto her back and pressed against her, his erection hard against her stomach. "First to say the other's name is the loser."

"Terms?" she asked as she slipped her hand between their bodies and continued to stroke him.

"Titles don't count," he told her, unable to stop the grunt of pleasure as she toyed with him. "I can call you Captain all I want."

"Nicknames count," she insisted, gently squeezing his length.

"Mmm, deal," he conceded with a hot sigh.

And then all of that barely contained passion was released. They rolled around, kissing and touching like animals in heat. He wanted to feel her again, to bring her close to her peak and see that expression of complete ecstasy and abandon. His fingers sought the hot depths of her core and she immediately clenched around him in anticipation. It didn't take long before she was grinding against him, desperately seeking that release he had denied her earlier. She lost herself, wildly bouncing on his fingers, and he held her up, watching her face transform, watch her lose control of her carefully crafted mask of seduction.

And just before she unraveled, he stopped. She gasped raggedly at him, tortured by the denial.

"You promised at least twice," she complained. He couldn't stop the grin that formed, inciting a flare of hatred and desire in her eyes.

"Slow down, gorgeous," he growled. "We have all night and I don't plan on wasting a second of it."

"All night?" she echoed, intrigued. "Can you last that long?"

Something devious triggered inside of him. "You have no idea what I'm capable of," he growled and watched her eyes light up. There wasn't an ounce of disbelief or skepticism on her face. She completely believed he would deliver and was looking forward to it. "You should see your face right now, Captain," he murmured, gently caressing her cheek. "You're completely hooked. I have you in the palm of my hand."

He went to stroke her lips but she took his fingers in her mouth instead, gently sucking. He hummed appreciatively and tilted his head back.

"Oh, Captain…" he mumbled, enjoying the feel of her hot, wet mouth. She pushed him up against the wall and straddled him. He looked at her through heavy lids, his erection hovering just below her core, brushing against the sensitive, swollen skin whenever he twitched in excitement. His hips reflexively rose, the tip nudging at her slit in warm desire, but she lifted her ass, denying him entry.

"I'm going to ruin you," she whispered when she released his fingers. She lowered her head to softly bite his chest. "I'm going to ruin other women for you. After me, you'll never be satisfied the same way." As she blazed a trail of wet kisses and gentle bites down his hard abdomen and stomach, he realized what was about to happen. His stomach tightened, erection throbbing. He wanted to feel her so badly that he could barely focus on a decent comeback to her incredulous declaration. "You'll try, and you'll probably lie and pretend nothing's changed… but after me, you'll never want another woman like you'll want me."

"Don't delude yourself, Captain," he groaned as her hot breath pulsed over his erection.

"Never," she promised.

And then she took his full length in her mouth. He moaned and thrust up to meet her. The girl had tricks, which he hadn't expected. She wasn't anything like he expected, from beginning to end. She was gorgeous and feisty, good in a fight and quick on her feet, smart and sexy and morally ambiguous, and she was good in bed. In the haze of satisfaction, he thought working together wasn't such a bad idea.

Skavak's breathing hitched, became heavier and breathier. He grabbed a fistful of her hair in pleasure as she brought him back into her throat. He groaned gutturally.

"Captain…" he growled and she hummed in response, causing his hips to buck against her. He pulsed and throbbed in her mouth as she worked him, feeling himself start to slip over the edge. "Oh, sweetheart," he muttered, hand gliding over the back of her head to find a better hold in her hair. She hummed again and, after a few more moments, withdrew. She ran her tongue along his length before kissing her way back up his body while he panted in the aftermath, mind thick with bliss. He gripped her arms and crushed his mouth against hers, unable to wait, to resist touching her, kissing her, desperately wanting more, needing more. His mind was filled up with nothing but her, but Alico.

She sank onto him and he was surrounded by tight heat, soft and wet, clinging to him. Ali, Ali, Ali. Skavak moaned and threw his head back.

"Ali," he groaned when he had temporarily lost all clarity. For a moment, he hadn't even realized he'd said it. And then he saw her staring at him hazily, waiting for confirmation, not an ounce of victory in her expression, just relief. He mashed her lips with his thumb as cupped her cheek. It had been a stupid bet, but at the time he hadn't counted on becoming so unraveled. He had thought he would do all of the affecting, betting on their pride, but they were both undone.

Skavak bit her lip in a quick kiss as punishment before squeezing her against him and diving into her breasts, licking and sucking and nibbling at her nipples. He rocked in and out of her while she clung to him, filling her up entirely. She grinded on him, hips rotating and sinking into his every thrust. It wasn't long before she was shuddering on his length in a long-awaited orgasm. He watched her come undone, that sexy expression she made.

"Skavak," she moaned as her legs trembled. Something inside of him snapped.

He pinned her to the bed, hoisted her hips, and rammed into her, frenzied. She called out his name and he called out hers, over and over again. When the fever passed, he slowed the pace a little, letting their passions resume. They fucked long into the night, attentive to each other's needs and wants, almost like they were making love. When was the last time Skavak had ever made love to a woman? It had felt like this, though. Mutual, thorough, passionate—involving every ounce of his being. And he kept saying her name—Ali, Ali, Alico—as she called his back to him—Skavak, Skavak!

When he felt her shudder on his length again, he spent himself inside of her, body trembling as pleasure flooded every limb, vision momentarily going white. They collapsed tangled together, slick with sweat and sex, gasping for breath. He couldn't remember the last time it had been this good. Had it? He didn't think so, but he couldn't really think straight.

"Mmm," Skavak hummed, panting. "That was definitely worth the risk."

He was already wondering about the next time when the euphoria abated long enough for him to realize just where the hell he was and who he was with. Alico, his nemesis. They had had their fun, but he didn't trust her and she didn't trust him, and he would be a fool to lay there any longer like some love-struck chump.

He pushed himself up and started to leave—leave like he always did—but hesitated. He was tired. His body was still tingling. She felt so good. He was a fool, she was dangerous, he needed to leave, but he wasn't ready. The honesty of it all was what did him in. There were no delusions about who he was, about their relationship, or about the sex. He wore no masks, played no roles. They were both flying their true colors, enemies, out for blood, and getting off on it. His only loyalty was to himself—and she knew that. Yet she had been beneath him, legs wrapped around his hips, screaming his name. _This is a one-time only_, he had said, but it was also a first-time, too.

"We promised a night," she said quietly. "You earned some sleep."

Alico rolled over and hugged her pillow, muscles relaxing as if she trusted he wouldn't suddenly try to kill her. He stared at her, debating on whether to stay or not. She was damn beautiful, naked and sweaty and marked by his passionate kisses and excited grips. It didn't take long to decide. He would be up before she was, gone before she realized it. And for some ridiculous reason, he wasn't going to try to kill her. Just this once.

Skavak put his arm around her and lay down with her back pressed to his chest. She was so small in his arms. It was strangely comforting. He thought he felt her push against him but he was already falling into darkness. He groaned and tightened his arm around her, and he slipped from consciousness.

He awoke when the sun was just starting to rise and Alico was still fast asleep, twisted into his body, her head on his shoulder. He kissed her as he climbed out of bed, got dressed, collected his blaster, and headed for the door. He stopped to pick up her ripped shirt, pressing it to his nose and taking a deep breath. He glanced back at her, a little regretful that their one night was already over.

And then he left.


	8. Fantasies

**Fantasies**

Charming Neva into helping him had been all too easy. Too easy, and too easy was boring. And fucking her had been about as entertaining. It was a shame, really. Neva, with her long, thick black hair and mocha-colored skin and golden eyes, was a gorgeous girl, but just a girl. Sweet, naïve. It wasn't fun. Not that it had ever been overly fun but there were definite perks and various thrills. Now, it all seemed like work, even the part that was supposed to be the one enjoyable aspect.

"Fucking bitch," he muttered under his breath and slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Neva and be bombarded with mindless chirping. He got dressed and went out into the garage, his mind going back to Alico and their night on Tatooine. _Ruin you, ruin you_, the words just replayed in his head. It was bullshit. His only real issue was Neva herself. She was boring. A pretty little doll with no personality. He wondered if he hurt that little doll if she would feel it. She would crumple into a ball on the ground and sob. That wouldn't be fun, either.

But if he hit Alico, she would hit him back. She would hit him harder, tackle him to the ground and brawl. They would roll around leaving bruises and drawing blood and then fuck like animals.

"Ali," he grumbled, finally getting the picture. It wasn't Neva at all. It _was_ Alico.

Skavak picked up some tools and began tinkering. It was habit, fixing things, machines. A long time ago, when he was just a boy, he had been a mechanic. He knew engines better than the back of his hand. But fixing up smugglers' starships had opened his eyes to a world beyond the garage, to a better life than digging around in grease and hyperdrive fluid. So he chased the dream himself, fast money, fast life, and along the way he realized the only person he could ever depend on was himself.

And that would never change. Alico was just a temporary bump in the hyperlane. He couldn't get over her because she was still alive to plague his thoughts. Once he killed her, he would be back to normal. And the professional mercenaries would see to that. Alico would be coming for the hyperdrive, he knew without a doubt. And when she did, he would be ready. He had the trap all set up. It was just a matter of when.

A beep on his hip told him he had a holocall. He set the device on top of the cylinder he was working on and opened the line. Peema Ahuff was standing there with Alico and Corso. She was propped against the wall, arms crossed, and a very unsurprised expression on her face. _Right on time,_ he thought, feeling his blood firing up at the sight of her.

"Captain Skavak? This is Noble Curator Peema Ahuff speaking. I demand that you return the Arkanian hyperdrive at once. The head you bought it with is a counterfeit."

Alico rolled her eyes. Skavak almost grinned.

"Sorry, Peemie. I have a strict 'no refunds' policy." He looked at Alico and smiled wide. "Heya, Captain. You're a little late to the party."

"We really have to stop meeting like this," she purred.

"I promised you'd regret crossing me."

"You also promised to kill me yourself, but no luck there." She tilted her head. "Where'd you dig up a counterfeit head, Skavak?"

"On a battlefield, where else? People will buy anything if the case is fancy enough," he said and she shrugged in agreement. Skavak smirked at her and then looked at the curator again. "Hope you don't mind, Peemie, but Neva's taking an early retirement. She's too gorgeous for life in a museum."

"What?" Peema gasped. "You… you… menace! You corrupted that girl!"

"Wasn't that hard. Trust me."

He wondered if it bothered Alico even a little bit. He hoped it did. He hoped it pissed her off, made her jealous, twisted her into knots right before his ambush ended her miserable existence. But when he looked at her, she was staring passively at him.

"You won't have much use for women once me and Hewie get done with you, Skavak," Corso growled.

"You still got that giant vibrosword?" Skavak asked. "What are you trying to compensate for, kid?"

"Corso doesn't have anything to prove," Alico chimed in nonchalantly.

_Schutta._ Skavak glared at her for just a split second before he recovered. He didn't know what irritated him more—that she could fuck someone like Corso after fucking him and not be disappointed or that Corso had had his idiot hands on her. He wouldn't show her it bothered him. Not even a little. And, come to think of it, she probably wouldn't show him, either. Her passive expression had hidden the jealousy she felt, hidden it well, but it was there. And that very thought made up for the aggravation she had caused him.

"Aw, forgive me," Skavak pouted, mood suddenly lightened. "I didn't know you two had gotten so close." He laughed low and guttural at the annoyance that flashed across her face. He had been right. "Oh, I wish I had a holo of your face right now, Ali. That expression is just priceless." He pointed at her. "Have fun eating my vapor trails…"

He hung up and pocketed his holocommunicator.

...

Skavak couldn't say he was relieved to watch Alico best his mercenary trap, but he wasn't spitting in rage, either. Until she stole his hyperdrive. How she had managed it, he would never know. It didn't really matter. One minute he was prepping to install the Arkanian tech and plotting to steal her ship, the next he was screaming in rage and dialing her ship's frequency.

"Hello, Skavak. How's tricks?" Risha asked when she answered.

"Just fantasizing about killing you and your friend, sweetheart," he told her, immediately finding Alico in the room. "Want to hear the details?"

Alico grinned. "In _my_ fantasy, you burn alive!"

Skavak chuckled angrily. "My plan involves synthrope, a jar of dioche sauce, and a starving colony of kretch insects."

"I could probably get on board for a few of those things."

_Something to consider_, he thought, instantly imagining her tied up, naked, and covered in something sticky and sweet. Something to consider, yeah, if he wasn't going to kill her the next time he saw her, which he was. No more hesitations, distractions, or underestimations.

"Haven't you learned yet, Skavak?" Risha purred. "Cheaters never win. We're leaving Alderaan with all the prizes, and you're… well, stuck being you."

And that's when it hit him. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Not literally, of course. Alico had, essentially, done most of the work for him. She had the ship and all of the tech installed. All he had to do was get the ship. Or at least get on the ship. She could continue to do all the work for him. And when it was all said and done, he would take that prize from her, put a blaster bolt between her eyes, and leave her to rot.

"Have fun while it lasts, kids," he growled. "The end of the ride is coming soon."


	9. Left for Dead

**Left for Dead**

Skavak crawled out of the smuggler's hole he had hidden in when he heard Alico and Corso leave. He quickly disabled the Wookiee and stretched as he took a tour of the ship. Nothing had changed except for the disappearance of his stuff in the cargo hold, but here they were at the secret location of Nok Drayen's treasure so it didn't really matter. He stopped at the door to the Captain's Quarters and stared at the wrinkled sheets. He had slept on that bed. It was comfortable. He was looking forward to sleeping there again, once he got rid of the Captain once and for all.

It would be nice to tangle up in those sheets with her. Just once. She would wear the yellow nightgown he liked. It would be better than Tatooine. If they split this treasure—and, hey, why not? He had done just as much work as she had—and worked together, there would be much bigger paydays than this one. And they would spend every night in that bed, with him tearing that nightgown off of her.

But they were past that now. More than that, it had never truly been an option they had seriously considered. A fantasy. They were brutally honest when they were together, but it had still been one giant fantasy. One of them had to die for either of them to move on, and he was going to make sure it was her.

Skavak left the ship and pulled his blaster, waiting patiently for the sound of footsteps returning to the hangar. He waited almost an hour and was just thinking about going to look for her when they finally came sprinting toward the ship. He stepped out onto the boarding ramp and pointed his weapon at her. Her eyes widened in shock. He had finally gotten a reaction out of her.

"Heya, Captain," he said, and pulled on a smile. "Bet you're surprised to see me."

"How the blazes did you get here?" Alico blurted.

"I hitched a ride on the only ship that could make this trip—yours," he explained as he walked halfway down the ramp and took a seat. "See, I've always believed if you can't beat 'em, join 'em… and then beat 'em. So I stowed away back on Nar Shaddaa." He grinned like he was about to tell a joke only she would get. "Funny thing about Wookiees—they've got great, big lungs. Only takes a few breaths of happy gas to knock one out."

"Note to self: invest in some better locks," she grumbled, making no effort to hide her displeasure.

"Oh. You won't be needing those anymore," he assured her. "I wanna be civil about this. Sure, you've made my life miserable, but I don't hold a grudge. Really."

"I clearly haven't hurt you enough."

"Don't kid yourself, sweetheart. You haven't hurt me at all." It was one of a hundred-thousand lies he had told, but she didn't need to know it. She had fucked with him in every way possible—professionally, physically, and—stars, he couldn't believe it was true—emotionally. He couldn't wait to get her out of his head. "Now what's it gonna be, Captain? Do I blast you here or are you gonna cooperate like a good girl?"

There was suddenly a very serious look on her face, like he had never seen before. "The treasure's not what you thought, Skavak."

"Don't even _think_ about lying to me, Captain."

"Would I lie about that with a blaster pointed at my face and my ship falling into a black hole?" Alico asked, taking a step toward him. Fair point. "This really isn't the place to discuss it. Can't we hash this out somewhere we're _both_ not liable to die?"

"So you can dump me in some Republic spaceport and jump to safety? I don't think so, sweetheart. We settle this here and now."

"It wouldn't be like that. Think about it, Skavak. We're so much alike…" She took another step closer. "We don't have to be enemies… do we?"

"What are you suggesting? That we split the treasure? Partners in crime—that sort of thing?"

"Why not? I know you're thinking it. If we weren't so busy trying to one-up each other all the time, we could really make something off of this galaxy. Between your connections and mine…"

"We would make a pretty solid team, I admit. But we already discussed this, sweetheart. Neither of us is good at sharing…"

"What's to share?" she wanted to know. "You keep your creds and I keep mine."

She almost made it sound like a real deal, like it was something either of them could do. Part of him wanted to do it, to say yes. The bigger part couldn't trust her and refused to give in.

"Mmm. I can't deny there's something between us," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He was brought full circle to their first meeting, when he kept wondering if it was at all possible to find time to seduce her. Only then they were waiting for a Separatist ambush and now they were falling into a black hole. "I wouldn't mind spending another night with you."

"Why stop at one?"

"Are you people out of your minds?" Corso exclaimed angrily.

"Go stand in a corner, kid," Skavak said lowly. "Your captain and I need a moment."

Corso looked at Alico with wide eyes, demanding an explanation. She just nodded and he obeyed, heading for the ship while muttering under his breath. Skavak briefly glanced back at him before he was suddenly being yanked by his shirt into a hot, hungry kiss. He groaned, grabbing her arms hard and pulling her into his chest, devouring her mouth like a last meal.

"You're really something else, Ali," he murmured as he stepped back. "Too bad this could never work. Now hand over the treasure."

Alico grinned, but something about it felt forced. "You were fun, Skavak. But the treasure's mine."

"You really are so cute when you're deluded," he said and aimed his blaster at her head. "I'm gonna miss you."

That serious expression returned when she said, "I'm gonna miss you, too."

He waited half a heartbeat after she entered stealth to pull the trigger. Their fight was short but painful, trading blaster bolts, grenades, and a slew of punches before the end. She was good in a fight, he had always known that. And she had been good in this one. She had gotten the better of him once again. Maybe his heart wasn't entirely in it—it had crossed his mind as he lay there, bruised and bleeding and dying—but maybe that was just an excuse for failing.

Alico limped over to him, silence chipping away at the moment as they drifted closer and closer to the event horizon. She dropped to her knee on the leg he hadn't shot and fished Corso's blaster off his belt then tossed it across the room. He couldn't read her expression.

"Torchy!" Corso exclaimed. "I've missed you! I'll never let you out of—"

"Corso!" Alico snapped. "Get inside. Make sure we're ready for takeoff."

"You got it, Captain!" he said and Skavak heard him shuffle off.

Alico and Skavak stared at one another for a long time, both wheezing for air, tired and wounded. She wiped the blood off her lip with the back of her hand, blaster hanging limply in her grasp. He tried to read her again. Hurting, that was a given. Frustrated? Sad? He didn't know. Smug? No. Victorious? No. She should be grinning, gloating. But she wasn't. Why wasn't she? It pissed him off.

"What're you waiting for, Captain?" he rasped arrogantly. "You don't expect me to beg, do you?"

"Not even a little bit," she replied instantly. "You wouldn't give me the satisfaction. I wouldn't give it to you, either."

"I always said we were a lot alike."

"Yeah…" she agreed quietly, flexing her fingers against her blaster grip. She tapped the barrel gently against her head as she regarded him. "I hate you. I hate you so much. I hate your guts."

Yeah… Yeah, he knew. And he hated her, too.

"I know, sweetheart."

Alico lowered her blaster and let her arm rest over her knee. He stared at her as pain spread through every limb. It wouldn't be long before she was out of his head forever. She was one hell of a woman. If they had met under different circumstances, they could have been partners, could have been lovers. But maybe not. Maybe they had to be enemies to realize they were so good for each other. She had been a good nemesis, and he loved her for it.

"I told you I'd ruin you," she began hesitantly, "but I'm the one who fell for you. Normally I'd consider this a loss, but since I can't stop kicking your ass, I'm inclined to let you have this one victory."

She tore her gaze away from his and looked beyond him. He gritted his teeth, shutting out the throbbing in his bones, the spreading of knives across his nervous system. _I fell for you_. Those words echoed between his ears, bounced around his skull. She looked regretful. She looked upset. Pained—not just physically, the physical could be numbed, healed, but _really_ pained. He had gotten in her heart, a liar and a thief and a scoundrel—both of them.

Her jaw tightened as she worked an idea out in her head. Then she tensed, relaxed, found her resolve, he assumed.

"I'm going to leave you for dead," she said. "It's impossible you'll find some way out of this mess, but you always were bizarrely lucky when not pitted against me…" Without ever looking at him, she dropped a kolto injection just beyond the reach of his fingers. "Goodbye, Skavak."

Alico stood up, stepped over his body, and holstered her blaster as she walked back to her ship. Skavak eyed the kolto injection, wondering if it would be better not to try. He could barely move as it was. But he knew he had to pay her back for leaving him to his misery and not putting him out of it. _Schutta bitch_, he thought and gritted his teeth as he reached for the injection. Pain coursed through him in debilitating waves but he scraped and clawed and finally wrapped his fingers around it. In a flash, he jammed it into his leg and bit back the scream.

Skavak fought the pain as he rolled over and struggled to get to his feet, hobbling toward the boarding ramp that was conveniently still lowered. The ship fired up and he stumbled onto the ramp just as it started closing, rolling into the safety of the ship. By the time he got into the smuggler's hole, he was panting and shaking, but the kolto was already starting to work.

He hurt but he was alive.

Skavak closed his eyes in the darkness and brought his breathing under control. When they landed, he would sneak off the same way he had gotten on board. He would lose himself on Nar Shaddaa for awhile, let things cool down. And then he would find her again, someday soon, and they would make a new arrangement.

And he would pay her back for all of this.


	10. Deal

**Deal**

She looked different and he wondered what had brought on the change. Him? Corso? Someone else? It had almost been a year since the black hole and Nok Drayen's treasure. She had been very busy since then, dipped in trouble bigger than either of them had been in before. Not just Rogun the Butcher, but Imperial Command? And yet she had gotten out of it with a pirate fleet under her command. Admiral Alico someone had called her, and it made Skavak laugh. She would always be "Captain" to him regardless of what she thought of herself. And he was almost positive that she wouldn't take the new title. She liked being called captain too much. Besides, she had released the pirates after their launch campaign, so the only ship she lorded over was the _Nostalgia for Infinity_…

A ship he happened to be aboard. He had tracked her stops, waited until she had dropped the last of her crew off, and then snuck on. When they were out in deep space somewhere and the ship was utterly silent, he quietly made his way to the cockpit where he knew he would find her.

She was there, drinking two fingers of whiskey and staring at Cato Neimoidia, feet propped on the console in relaxation. Her hair was longer, just barely brushing her shoulders and flipping out at the ends. It had already started getting longer by the time they tried to kill each other, but this was a style. Sexier. Girly.

At the sound of his footsteps, she swiveled around in her chair and her jaw went slack, her eyes growing wide. Those green eyes he liked. He pointed his blaster at her and smiled.

"Heya, Captain," he said, just like old times. "Miss me?"

"How the blazes did you get here?" she exclaimed, still in shock.

"I missed you, too," he replied smugly. "Needless to say, you never did invest in those locks. As for being alive… use your imagination. I'm sure you can figure it out."

Alico carefully lifted her tumbler, took a measured sip, and then offered it to him. He took it and tipped the rest of it back in one gulp. She looked at him passively, a strange glint in her eyes. He couldn't tell if she was happy to see him, regretful, or nervous. She stood up and he almost thought her saw her sway. She began slowly and leisurely walking around the small space, pretending to find other things in the room more interesting than him to look at.

"Can't let a girl have a vacation, can you? I've been really busy since we stopped harassing each other, you know."

"I know. I've been keeping tabs on you, Captain." His eyes raked her appreciatively. He missed that body, had had her so many times in his head he couldn't believe he had only ever touched her once. "Thing is, I realized something that night at the black hole. I hate you, too." He waved the blaster at her, confidence and arrogance overflowing. "I hate everything about you. And that's probably why I can't get you out of my head. I'm going to need you to take responsibility for that, sweetheart."

She tried to hide her smirk but she couldn't. She tried to look at everything in the room but him yet her eyes kept coming back to his. There was something shy, something excited, and something hot burning in her cheeks. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he was pretty sure it was more than that.

"Make me an offer," she said casually, "and we'll see."

"The deal is simple. We split the winnings 50-50, and I share you with no one."

"Loot's 25," she told him. "We split earnings with crew."

He had expected that. "You're holding yourself back, sweetheart," he said, but he wasn't in the mood to argue. He holstered his blaster and conceded with a nod. "And the rest of it? We have a deal or have you been hookin' up power couplings with Corso?"

"Don't you know a bluff when you hear one?" she asked, and relief rocketed through him. He should have known it was a bluff, but with her he could never be certain. "Were you jealous, Skavak? Looks good on you."

"I just don't like thinking anyone else has seen you in that little nightgown."

"Just this one guy who turned out to be a real bastard of a thief that tried to kill me a few times." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Best sex I ever had, though."

"Is that so?" he asked, feeling all of that desire he was holding back come rushing forward. "You know, there's something I've been meaning to do since I got here."

Skavak hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, kissing her hard and deep. She immediately clutched his jacket, melting into his embrace like she had been waiting for it all this time. He backed her into the wall and pinned her against it, picking her up by her thighs and wrapping her legs around his hips. He half-groaned, half-growled as he kissed her, hands roaming the curves of her backside in anticipation.

"So, do we have a deal?" he murmured against her mouth as he roughly explored the feel of her thighs.

"That depends," she replied breathily. "Am I sharing you with anyone? You know I don't like sharing."

Skavak had known the moment he opened that door that he would have to answer this question. He had thought about lying, about playing one of the usual parts. But that would never work with Alico. Besides, he didn't want to have to play another role, so he had to settle on honesty… even if it was difficult to say.

"I'm only gonna say this once, Captain," he told her. "You ruined other women for me."

"Skavak," Alico grinned, "we have a deal."

When he kissed her again, they lost themselves in each other. They tore at their clothes, passion unleashed. They were each other's best, and they brought out the best and the worst. One day, the deal would change. It was inevitable. One day, he would rediscover his interest in other women. One day, he would betray her like he betrayed everyone. And one day, she would expect it. One day, she would move on. One day, she wouldn't leave him for dead, just dead. And one day, they would go back to being enemies.

But not that day. That day, they were partners. That day, he would fuck her in a little, yellow nightgown and call her name as she screamed his back to him.

**The End**


End file.
